Last week Ken Levine was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Golden Joystick Awards, the first time such an award has been given in the ceremony's history. Being a massive fan of everything Bioshock, this pleased me immensely. It also got me thinking about how much the games industry has changed and how more and more we're beginning to identify developers as creative people who are actively shaping their work. Some could argue that some developers are becoming more like the auteurs we usually see in the movie world. Some developers work is becoming so unique and distinctive that you can sometimes identify their work through common themes or gaming tropes and mechanics. Therefore I thought I'd look at seven gaming auteurs who bring a unique style to their work and compare them to their movie counterparts.

Honourable Mention - Shigeru Miyamoto

'Who else could get away with a picture as awesome as this?'

Notable Works: Too many to mention but if it features any Nintendo characters he's probably had a hand in it.

Shigeru Miyamoto's impact upon the gaming landscape is larger than all the other names on this list combined and then some. Often considered the Walt Disney of gaming, he has created numerous characters that have stood the test of time, not just over a console generation but over decades. To talk about gaming auteurs and not mention Miyamoto would seem like a crime, however I've only given him an honourable mention. This is not to downplay his achievements by any means but when looking at auteurs, Miyamoto has always clearly favoured game design over any unique clear vision. In many ways he transcends the idea of an auteur and his impact upon gaming will forever be remembered and rightly so.

7. David Cage

'This was a picture of David, before he read reviews of Beyond: Two Souls.'

Despite his critics, David Cage is clearly a man who has a unique vision and is not afraid to tell the stories he wants to. Out of everyone on this list, Cage is the one who takes most of his inspiration from movies. Some would say he really wants to be a film director more than a game designer and it's easy to see why when you play his games. Most of his games play more like interactive stories, where you as the player make decisions which shape the story. Still, no matter what decisions you make, the story still fits within Cage's vision which is clearly ambitious. However like M Night Shyamalan, he can sometimes over stretch himself and when you focus on the narratives alone in his games, it's interesting to ask whether they would still make compelling movies? Despite his flaws, it's refreshing to have a developer who is so focused on their own vision and I have completed all three of his games multiple times, which does surely say something.

6. Peter Molyneux

'Peter's mind is so awesome he has to hold it in place with his own hand.'

Notable Works:Populous, Dungeon Keeper, Black and White and Fable series

Themes/Motifs: God-like power, a British sense of humour and lofty aims

If they were a film director they would be: Lars Von Trier

Like the best of auteurs, Peter Molyneux always has something to say. Sometimes his willingness to be outspoken has gotten him into trouble, most notably for not always delivering on his promises. Like Lars Von Trier the hyperbole surrounding his projects often has to be unpicked and once uncovered there is a lot to enjoy in his games. Most of his games share the common theme of granting the player god-like control over their surroundings, whether that be over a dungeon, a burgeoning civilisation or the destiny of a hero. It's in his Fable series where he has had the most success, as he has at least delivered in part on his promises of shaping a hero, including their own dog companion. Recently Molyneux has parted ways with Lionhead Studios and is now working on his own project called Godus, which by its mere name alone, promises much.

5. Goichi Suda (Suda 51)

'Marvel at Suda 51's totally original and unique beam katana.'

Notable Works:Killer7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead

Themes/Motifs: Ultra-Violence, sex and dick jokes.

If they were a film director they would be: Quentin Tarantino

You can spot a Suda 51 game from a mile away and if that isn't a sign of an auteur I don't know what is. Despite his games often carrying a mature classification, on many levels they're anything but mature. Often displaying a juvenile sense of humour, his games can be divisive. More recent works such as Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead continue this trend with their somewhat questionable attitude to female representation. However this is part of the joy of Suda 51's work; it's brash, in your face and unapologetic, much like the work of film maker Quentin Tarantino. Although I'm not sure a Tarantino movie would see a demon hunter taking out oversized demons with his 'big boner' gun.

4. Tim Schafer

'It's good to see that the money raised through Kickstarter was put to good use.'

Making his name in the point and click adventure genre, Tim Schafer is now a prominent name in the gaming industry, whose company Double Fine is making a variety of games across multiple genres and platforms. However one element key to Tim Schafer's success is his use of irreverent humour, whilst like Kevin Smith still creating characters we care about. Also recently his games have covered a wide variety of genres, almost cherry picking the best elements from long forgotten genres, much like how Kevin Smith reference popular culture. He covered the RTS genre in Brutal Legend, the turn based RPG in Costume Quest and even the waggle-em-up motion control genre in Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster. However soon he's to return to the genre in which he made his name, the adventure genre. With the growth in that genre in recent years, it'll be great to see what the master will do when he returns.

3. Hideo Kojima

'Kojima clearly took his inspiration for his shirt from Snake Eater.'

Notable Works:The Metal Gear Series and Zoe of the Enders Series

Themes/Motifs: War, identity and breaking the fourth wall.

If they were a film director they would be: The Wachowskis

Most well known for The Metal Gear Series, Hideo Kojima still remains a large influence on many developers today, as he continues to build on a franchise he clearly loves. Despite most of his work being contained to one series, Kojima has managed to explore many themes in his work, most notably that of war and futility of it. However like a lot of the anime and Manga he is clearly influenced by, his work also touches on the idea of the 'self.' This is something the Wachowskis explored in their Matrix series and they too were impressed with Kojima's work. So much so that there was at one point talk of a Metal Gear Solid movie involving them, with Kojima in a heavily involved role. However, what's great about Kojima is that he doesn't take himself too seriously, especially considering how much he breaks the fourth wall. He knows that we're playing a game and some of my fondest memories of gaming have been when he's toyed with my Playstation memory card in Metal Gear Solid, or plain tired to convince me I had failed, with the infamous, 'Fission Mailed' screen in Metal Gear Solid 2. It's this juxtaposition of serious mature themes, along with a playful nature that makes Kojima's work stand out.

2. Fumito Ueda

'Of course I'm still working on The Last Guardian. Can't you see my brand new Playstation 3 that I'm testing it on?'

Notable Works:ICO and Shadow of the Colossus

Themes/Motifs: Companionship, the outsider, isolation and a bare bones narrative.

If they were a film director they would be: Terrence Malick

Like Terrence Malick, Fumito Ueda can't exactly be descried as prolific. In fact, with only producing two games he's currently making Terrence Malick seem like he's rushing them out. However both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus have a unique majesty, which oozes out of every pore. Despite their differences, they are two games which clearly share some common ideas and aesthetics. Both games have a bare bones narrative in which everything isn't clearly explained and instead the player is left to fill the gaps with their own imagination and playing experience. They're almost fairy-tale-esque in their set up, yet their narratives, settings and characters are deeply moving and profound. These themes are also seemingly apparent in The Last Guardian, Ueda's next project. However, delays and Udea's departure from Team ICO may mean we never see it or if we do it may not be quite the game Ueda wanted. Either way, any game with just the slightest touch from his hand would be greatly appreciated.

1. Ken Levine

'What control do we really have in our lives? Are we merely just cars waiting in a car park, ready to be driven to our destiny? - I may have read too much into this picture.'

I did say that I was a massive fan of everything Bioshock, so it's not surprise that Ken Levine tops my list. However his recent recognition at The Golden Joystick Awards prove that I'm not the only one who admires his work. In recent years, through the Bioshock series, Ken Levine has created some of the most spectacular worlds, that are not only accomplished in their design but in the ideology behind them. It's this grasping of ideas that makes Ken's work so interesting. For example Andrew Ryan is clearly egotistical and deluded yet at the same time you admire his search for true creative freedom. Through playing these games you feel like you're making an impact upon these worlds, however often the freedom you think you have is not freedom at all. Especially when in Nolan-esque fashion, Ken concludes Bioshock Infinite with a cascade of twists and revelations that make you question the set-up of not only one Bioshock game, but all of them. This retroactive storytelling not only has you questioning the nature of the narrative but the nature of 'playing' a game in and of itself. So I hope this lifetime achievement award doesn't mean Ken Levine has reached his peak, but is still climbing the mountain towards it.

So who do you think the auteurs of gaming are? Is there anybody I've left off the list? Let me know in the comments below.